


Of Halos, Waves, and Starlight

by JasmineTeaLatte



Series: The Phoenix and the Dragon [2]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Dancing, Ember Island (Avatar), F/M, Fluff, Implied Sexual Content, Mild Sexual Content, Mild Smut, One-sided Aang/Katara (Avatar), Slow Dancing, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, Zutara Week 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-07-27
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:08:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25042939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JasmineTeaLatte/pseuds/JasmineTeaLatte
Summary: When the members of Team Avatar discover that Zuko has never been to a dance before, they decide to throw a party that night at his family's Ember Island beach house. In just one night, he’ll have to learn how to dance without looking like a fool and admit his crush to the girl he’s fallen for, while somehow avoiding the Avatar’s wrath in the process.Takes place between "The Ember Island Players" and "Sozin's Comet: The Phoenix King"Written for Zutara Week 2020 – Day 4: Celestial
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Suki (Avatar)
Series: The Phoenix and the Dragon [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1847290
Comments: 34
Kudos: 335





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Here it is, the oneshot that spiraled into a whole series! Originally this was a bit longer and certain plot points were resolved, but then when I got to the end, I realized I couldn’t just leave it hanging as it was. So I plotted out the remaining parts and moved certain scenes and dialogue around. 
> 
> Also, yes, I do reference the TikTok of Two Dudes in Ba Sing Se and no, I’m not ashamed. It’s just so pure and if you haven’t seen it yet, check it out.

Rays of the afternoon sun were starting to blind Zuko’s eyes. His student had kept up with his training for most of the day, and now seemed as good a time as any to stop.

“I think we’re done for the night,” the prince said. “Nice work, Aang.”

At that, the young Avatar bowed to his firebending teacher and dramatically sprawled out on the tiles of the courtyard that served as a training area. From the ground he waved his hand slightly, bringing the water fountain in its center bubbling back to life.

There was a polite round of applause from the remaining members of Team Avatar scattered across the steps. Toph lounged near the middle towards the bottom, one foot resting on the ground. Katara sat off to the side, cradling her chin in her hands with her elbows propped on her knees.

On the other side of the stairs was Suki, who was somewhat distracted from the firebenders’ practice below due to Sokka napping with his head in her lap. She tousled his hair gently to wake him up.

“Wahamiss?” Sokka mumbled as he came to.

“Seriously?” Katara asked, turning around to her brother. “How could you sleep through that? It was amazing!”

“You’re living up to your nickname, Snoozles,” Toph said dryly. “You only missed some impressive firebending from Sifu Hotman and Twinkletoes, who from what I’m sensing has improved a lot in the last few days.”

Zuko rolled his eyes as he gulped down water from the fountain. When this was all over, he was going to kill Aang for coming up with that ridiculous nickname, last hope of the world or not. It had taken Toph no time at all to adopt it and call him that every chance she got. He’d almost preferred it when she called him Sparky.

“Thanks, Toph,” Aang said, sitting up and bending more water from the fountain neatly into his mouth. “I gotta say, though, some of those moves reminded me of dancing. Especially that one that starts on the ground and you spin up.”

Zuko had used that move in his Agni Kai with Zhao, knocking his legs out from under him and quickly gaining the upper hand in their duel. He allowed himself a small, grim smile at the memory.

“Yeah, that one I came up with on my own,” Zuko said. “Since no one’s really danced in the Fire Nation for the last several decades, it’s a good move to catch another firebender off guard.”

It was a pity, really. He’d never formally danced before (learning the Dancing Dragon notwithstanding) and he always thought he might be decent at it. 

“At least Aang was able to teach some of the kids in his class how to let loose and have fun,” Katara said. “Remember when we hosted that dance party shortly after we arrived in the Fire Nation?”

“Oh, yeah!” Sokka exclaimed, fully awake now. “Remember too when we posed as Aang’s parents? I got to be Wang Fire and you were Sapphire Fire. Man, that was a fun disguise,” he said, stroking his bare chin sadly.

Zuko snorted.

“How did you manage to pull that off?” Zuko asked, amused. “You both are younger than me, there’s no way anyone would’ve believed you two were his parents.”

Sokka stood up indigently.

“For your information, I had a _magnificent_ beard to help me play the part,” he insisted. “We made Katara up pretty good too, though I’m sure it confused those kids when they saw her and Aang dancing at the party.”

A small blush colored both Aang and Katara’s faces, which did not go unnoticed by the prince. ~~~~

~*~*~

As the sun sank towards the horizon, the four original members recalled the tale of how they went undercover. Aang explained how he experienced firsthand the life of a Fire Nation student, and how he’d decided to host a party for his classmates and taught them classic dance moves.

Zuko listened to the story with a smile. It shouldn’t have surprised him that if anyone could get a bunch of rich private school kids to loosen up and have fun, it was the Avatar.

He was also just a bit curious to see how that noodle portrait of his father had turned out, if he was being totally honest.

He’d had his doubts, but assuming they lived through Sozin’s Comet he was sure that Aang’s spirited nature and kind heart would win over most of the Fire Nation and help bring about peace. Hopefully.

Zuko found himself glancing at Katara during the story to see her smile or laugh at certain memories. If he’d chosen differently in the crystal catacombs beneath Ba Sing Se, he could’ve been a part of them.

Not for the first time since his betrayal, he felt a slight pang of regret.

He thought back to that awful play Sokka dragged them to and recalled how much the Ember Island Players’ vision had differed from reality. While he’d always found Katara attractive, that had been the furthest thing from his mind when they were trapped together back then.

Now that he’d gotten to know her better, he sometimes had dreams about that encounter going much differently.

“Oh, and then towards the end Aang pulled Katara out to the middle of the dance floor and they got to show off some really spectacular dance moves,” Sokka said, snapping Zuko back to attention.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Toph briefly glance in his direction. He kept forgetting that she could sense people’s heartbeats and his had spiked for just a second.

 _Please don’t let her realize what it meant_ , he thought to himself.

That momentary distraction allowed Suki to beat him in asking a question he’d been wondering since the story started.

“What did you mean earlier when you said their dance would’ve been confusing to those kids?” she asked.

“Well, they were getting reeeally close together,” Sokka said a sing-song voice, elbowing a blushing Aang and ignoring Katara’s glare. “And since she was still technically posing as his mom, they might’ve had some concerned thoughts.”

Zuko laughed along with everyone else but kept his eyes on the two in question.

Aang’s blush was mostly hidden by the waning light, but Katara had just looked down and slightly frowned. She too had a blush, but it looked decidedly less like one borne from a crush revealed.

~*~*~

It had been obvious to Zuko even before he joined their group that Aang had feelings for Katara. He originally assumed she returned the Avatar’s sentiments and both were just too shy to do anything about it.

But then he'd spent time laughing and talking alone with Katara on the beach the night they returned home from the play, and while she hadn't named Aang directly, she'd as much admitted that his crush was mostly one-sided.

Then the morning after, as she stood laughing in the sun shower, drenched in water and surrounded by thousands of small, blinding lights, Zuko realized something that had been nagging him for some time.

He maybe, just maybe, had a bit of a crush or even something more on the blue-eyed waterbender who’d wiped the floor with him more times than he cared to admit.

Once he finally acknowledged it, she was often in the back of his mind. Whenever he trained with Aang and taught him firebending, he’d find himself being a bit more aggressive than usual to show off if Katara happened to be nearby.

Not that he was brutal, of course – that would’ve sent her flying to Aang’s defense and earned him a premature, icy death – but just enough that she could see his raw power on display.

But Zuko wasn’t dumb, despite Azula’s taunts while growing up (and many, many moments of impulsiveness and hot-headed decisions notwithstanding.) He knew he had almost no chance at winning her heart, especially given his abysmal track record.

He thought she'd even given him the briefest of chances when they split off for bed that night after the play, but he'd frozen up and let the moment slip away.

And since the Avatar harbored a not-so-secret crush on her too, Zuko knew that if he dared make any type of move now especially after the play, he’d be a dead man. Sorry, make that a dead Sifu Hotman.

Although, Zuko was sure his uncle would have some wise saying if he were here about destiny always being in motion. Probably something like, _just because a fish has been hooked doesn't mean another predator can't catch it before the fisherman does_ , or something weird like that. 

Ugh. That was terrible, almost as bad as his silver sandwich speech that one time. He certainly wasn’t a predator, at least not anymore, and Katara wasn’t anyone’s to catch.

If anything it was the opposite. He had been drifting along in the ocean, unaware of the blue-eyed siren waiting just beneath the waves until the perfect opportunity to drag him under. Which, all in all, wasn't the worst fate, he supposed.

“Wow,” Suki said as the story came to its end, bringing him back to the present. “I really wish I could’ve been there! I haven’t danced in forever. We used to have parties all the time on Kyoshi Island, and those were always so fun.”

Katara looked his way and smiled.

“Can you dance, Zuko?” the waterbender asked. “I know it’s illegal in the Fire Nation, but I figured you being royalty and all…” she trailed off with a shrug.

Zuko shook his head.

“That would have been nice, but it’s not like we had many occasions for dances while I was growing up,” he said. “You know, too busy terrorizing the world and burning down anything that brought anyone else happiness.”

Toph, who had been mostly quiet during the story except for contributing to a few parts, suddenly chimed in.

“I’ve got an idea!” the blind earthbender exclaimed. “Let’s throw a party! I mean, I’m not much of a dancer, but you guys are, and you can teach Sifu Hotman here how to dance.”

Now it was Zuko’s turn to blush as their eyes turned his way, excited. For a split second he thought he saw a devious smirk grace Toph’s face, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared.

He tried to stammer out an excuse but that died before it reached his lips. It had been embarrassing enough when he’d lost his bending briefly after joining them. Learning to dance in front of his newfound friends and especially _her_ was on a completely different level.

All he could do was shake his head, looking terrified.

“Oh come on, it’ll be fun!” Sokka exclaimed. “We can have another dance, and this time you and Suki can be part of it!”

The rest of the group chorused their agreement. Zuko opened his mouth again to protest but knew he was outnumbered.

“Tell you what,” Aang said. “Let’s do it tonight after we get cleaned up and eat dinner! I mean it won’t have music, but we can make it work somehow.”

With a gust of wind Aang hopped to his feet and dashed off towards the house for a bath, humming an upbeat song.

Zuko stifled a groan, stood up, and followed his direction, glancing back at the group still sitting in the courtyard. They were excitedly making plans, and Sokka was trying to figure out how to repurpose things from the beach house into decorations.

Maybe he could mysteriously fall sick in the next half hour? Yeah, that’d get him out of it. Maybe she could even step away from the festivities at some point and come check on him, alone in his room...

 _Wait, where did that come from?_ Zuko thought to himself. _You already blew your chance. She’s not interested in you._

Then his eyes met Katara’s briefly as she glanced up from the group discussion. Her blue eyes were shining in the gleams of the sunlight, and she discreetly winked at him.

Oh, for Agni’s sake.

He felt something turn over in his stomach and he resolved that even if he looked like a complete fool, even if the Avatar himself in all of his wrath reduced him to nothingness, he would find some way to dance with her.

~*~*~

Katara had been aware of Aang’s crush on her for some time now, long before his forced confession during that horrible play’s intermission.

At one point she might have even reciprocated his feelings, but ever since their kiss on the Day of Black Sun, she’d just been confused.

Technically, the one he’d stolen from her the day of the invasion was her second one with him if you included their briefest of kisses in the Cave of Two Lovers. Their first one in the cave had seemed right at the time, and the glowing crystals afterwards also helped set the mood.

Even their dance surrounded by his classmates had felt natural. She’d been shy about being the center of attention, but Aang smoothly reassured her to forget everyone else in the room, that he only had his eyes on her. So she had and literally let herself get swept off her feet. That also felt right.

But then right before the invasion, as she was bidding Aang goodbye and good luck, he swooped in and kissed her. It wasn’t malicious, of course, and she hadn’t felt angry. But while watching him glide away, all she kept replaying in her head was, _that didn’t feel right. I should have felt fluttering but instead, I felt nothing._

When Aang had kissed her again at the play, she’d been outraged. She’d just told him she was confused, and he couldn’t even give her space? But she couldn’t find it in her heart to hold a grudge against him, and neither had brought it up since then.

Then later that night, she'd been even more confused when she realized while sitting around a beachside campfire that there was someone else she wanted to kiss. Her little crush had completely snuck up on her – one day she wanted to freeze him solid, then seemingly the next she found herself snuggling up next to his warmth.

She remembered how, after the humiliating loss and trudging to the Western Air Temple on foot, _he_ just had to show up, smiling and waving like it was no big deal. She’d been tempted to slap him at _Hello, Zuko here_ and in fact did so a few minutes later, albeit with a water whip.

But since then, things gradually changed between her and the prince.

The night after she finally forgave Zuko for his transgressions, she laid awake in her new bedroom at the beach house for hours replaying their hug. She thought about how warm his body naturally was, and how it comfortable it felt being in his arms, even for the briefest of moments.

 _It felt right_.

She recalled Aunt Wu’s prediction that she would marry a powerful bender, and after hearing Sokka’s admiration watching Aang stop the volcano from destroying the village, she used to wonder if the Avatar might be the one for her.

But it’s not like he was the only powerful bender, right? Though he would certainly be the _most_ powerful once he was fully trained, it’s not like the prediction gave her an absolute definition. There’s a difference between powerful and the most powerful.

Up until recently she’d wondered in the back of her mind if that meant Aang. Now she wondered if it meant someone else.

And then, Zuko had confused her even more when he'd mentioned something about destiny being fluid and reshaping your future. Maybe she wouldn't even end up marrying a bender after all. Maybe she'd die alone as an old maid instead. Maybe she'd die long before then.

She sighed, stirring the pot of soup which still had a few minutes left to go. It’s not like she had time to be figuring out who the love of her life was at this point, anyways, even if he showed up on her doorstep.

They still had an Avatar to finish training and a war to win, otherwise she wouldn’t have to worry about finding love because they’d all be dead... or worse.

A soft cough broke her from her thoughts, and she turned to see Zuko standing by the doorway, changed back into his regular clothes and hair still slightly damp from his post-firebending bath.

“Need any help?” he asked.

When she first met him a few years ago, she never would have pictured the high and mighty Fire Prince helping her, much less waiting tables in the lower ring of Ba Sing Se. He’d shared tales of working with his uncle in the tea shops, which always fascinated her.

How different would things have been if, instead of turning around and running straight to turn him in, she’d sat down and talked with Zuko instead. If she'd found out why he was there instead of landing them both imprisoned within the glowing catacombs.

“Katara? You still with me?” he asked, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“Oh, right, sorry,” she chuckled. “I was just thinking about your tea shop stories, and how differently things would’ve turned out had I not tried to rat you out to the Earth King.”

Zuko, who had started preparing the tea, nodded his head.

“Back when I was Lee the tea server,” he said, quickly taking on a drawl not unlike that of Chong and his companions. “Or as those two drunk guys called me, ‘my boy Lee with the great cup of tea, man.’”

Katara laughed, noting how his eyes lit up again whenever she was happy.

That particular story was one of her favorites. Zuko and his uncle were in the process of opening the shop one morning when two men hungover from the previous night had been the first customers in line, desperate for anything to quell their pounding headaches.

They’d taken such a liking to Iroh and Zuko – make that Mushi and Lee – that by the time they’d left, they were literally singing their praises and kept calling Zuko “our boy, Lee.” 

“I just wonder how things could have been,” she said, getting bowls and spoons out and setting them on the countertop. “If I hadn’t been caught by your sister and her friends, neither of us would’ve wound up together in the catacombs.”

As she turned around, she just barely caught a flash of something in his facial expressions. Regret, maybe? Sadness?

“Yeah…” he said, shaking his head. “About that… I know I’ve apologized before, but I shouldn’t have listened to Azula and nearly gotten you and Aang killed. I still feel terrible-“

But she stepped forward and put her hand on his shoulder. Technically, Aang _had_ died, but there was no point in correcting him on that particular detail right now.

“Zuko, hey. I forgive you,” she said softly. “I didn’t get it then, but I do now. She offered you a chance to go home. I would’ve been tempted too if it had been me.”

“Yeah, but-“

“Zuko, seriously. You may have been a royal jerkbender in the past, but I know you’ve changed. You’re actually not that bad. And I- I’m really glad you joined us.”

She hadn’t moved her hand from his shoulder yet, and he gave her a genuine smile, as warm as the afternoon sunshine.

The teapot whistled, but neither of them paid it any attention.

Golden eyes gazed down into blue ones. This was the closest they’d been since the night she'd snuggled up beside him at the campfire, if you didn't include the few hugs they'd shared as well.

Her stomach fluttered when she realized only a few inches separated them. It had been pure instinct, moving closer to him. Where did that come from?

Before she could speak, he surprised them both by pulling her in for a hug.

“I know,” he said in a low voice close to her ear, and she shivered slightly. “But I promise, I won’t ever make a mistake like that again.”

 _This feels nice_ , she thought, squeezing him gently. She pulled her head back to say something, but a knock on the door frame stopped her.

They whipped their heads around to find Suki, looking both surprised and pleased. They could also hear the sounds of the others not far behind her.

“Sorry to interrupt, just wanted to see if I could help set the table or speed things along,” she said in a tone of voice that sounded entirely too innocent.

Katara pulled away from Zuko quicker than he would have preferred.

“Oh sure, Suki!” she said, babbling away as she started handing her the bowls and everything else needed for dinner.

Zuko wordlessly picked up the tea pot and cups and walked into the dining room. He turned around for a second to see if Katara was also looking back. She was too busy chatting with Suki, who smiled and nodded at her friend’s fast-talking attempt to appear normal.

He sighed and walked out. Once he was gone, Suki elbowed her.

“So, what was that all about?” she whispered.

Katara’s face turned as red as her Fire Nation clothing.

“It… just… nothing, I don’t know!” she hissed. “We’re just friends, we had a friendship moment. Friends hug each other.”

Suki raised her eyebrow and shrugged.

“Okay, never mind,” she said, changing to more neutral topics like dancing and doing their makeup later that night.

~*~*~

After dinner, Suki pulled Toph aside.

“You were right, Toph, those two definitely have feelings for each other. You’re an evil genius for setting up this dance.”

The earthbender shrugged and grinned.

“What can I say? Their heartbeats go crazy whenever they’re around each other. It’s about time they admitted it. It’s driving my feet crazy.”

“But what are we going to do about Aang? I mean, he’s clearly got a crush on her too, and we don’t want him to blow up.”

“Leave Twinkletoes to me. I’ll keep him distracted.”

~*~*~

Katara was trying to stop her heart from pounding out of her chest.

She and Suki were applying makeup (they had already done Toph’s), and now her nerves were finally starting to get to her.

Of course, Toph noticed. Curse her superior earthbending senses.

“What’s wrong?” she asked. “It feels like you’re about to explode over there. What’s on your mind?”

Ugh. Katara did not want to get into it, so she just rolled her eyes.

“I’m perfectly fine, Toph,” she said with what she hoped was an air of indifference and resumed applying a rosy eyeshadow that contrasted nicely with her blue eyes.

Beside her, Suki rolled hers.

“Come on Katara, admit it,” she said. “We know you’re nervous about tonight. Is it about Aang?”

“Why would I be nervous about that?” Katara huffed.

She had already told Suki about their not-quite courtship and how everything had felt right up until Aang had kissed her the day of the invasion.

She’d even shared Aang’s confession and sudden kiss during the play’s intermission. When she explained how confused and upset she’d been, Suki had raised her eyebrows and looked like she wanted to say something but stopped herself at the last second. 

Finally, she'd told her friend about hanging out with Zuko by the campfire but excluded a few details - namely, their discussion about how and when Sokka might propose.

“Look, it doesn’t matter anyways, we’ve got more important things to worry about,” Katara said whilst applying mascara to her lashes.

That was a flimsy excuse considering their current activity, and the other two were nice enough not to call her out on it.

“Okay then,” Suki said, leaning closer. “Are you nervous about seeing Zuko?”

She didn’t even have time to come up with a lie because Toph whooped.

“I KNEW it!” the blind earthbender shouted.

All the blood seemed to rush to Katara’s face, and she heard a pounding in her ears. Too bad Toph couldn’t use those earthbending skills to sink herself down into the ground, Katara thought bitterly.

“Shh! Be quiet, they might hear you!” she hissed, frantically swatting at the younger girl’s shoulder.

Suki looked on, smirking.

“Notice she didn’t deny it.”

Katara scowled at both of them and put her hands on her hips.

“Okay, fine,” she said after a long pause. “Ever since he joined our side and helped me get closure on my mom’s death, I’ve realized we just seem to get each other perfectly. He understood what I was going through and didn’t judge me like Aang did. He accepts me for me, including all of the bad stuff.”

She took a deep breath.

“And he’s also a lot sweeter than he used to be, and yes, I admit I think he’s cute. So what? It’s not like anything is going to happen. We’re _friends_ ,” she finished, waving her hand at that last word. 

Suki gave her a sympathetic look.

“Oh, Katara,” Suki said, giving her a side hug. “It’s okay! We figured it out the day of the sun shower, and we think you two would be good together. You don’t need to be shy!”

Katara wanted to cover her face with her hands and cry, except that would smudge the makeup.

“Would it make you less embarrassed if I told you he feels the same way?” Toph asked in a softer tone than usual.

Her heart skipped a beat, which only proved Toph’s point. Ugh. She was going to kill them both if her heart didn’t give out first.

“Really?” she whispered hopefully.

Suki and Toph both nodded earnestly.

Katara forced herself to breathe through her nose and tried to make her heart to slow down.

“Why else do you think I wanted us to have this dance party?” Toph asked. "That way, everyone gets dressed up, has a fun time, and you two can dance and have a night of romance or whatever."

…Oh. That explained things. Katara nodded and pushed her palms towards the floor to calm herself.

“Okay,” she said, mostly to herself. “Let’s just finish getting ready, and we’ll see what happens.”

Suki pulled her in for another hug.

“He’s not going to know what hit him when you walk out tonight,” she said, giving Katara a squeeze. “Right Toph?”

Toph nodded.

“He's going to catch fire the moment he sees you,” she said cheekily.


	2. Chapter 2

Zuko had to admit, the courtyard looked more amazing now than it had during the parties he remembered from his childhood.

Those had been stiff, formal affairs. Tonight, it looked happy and fun.

Sokka had gone all out, bringing down blankets, candles, and various other items for decor. Lanterns hung throughout and a few rested on the edge of the fountain, casting a soft shimmering glow.

Fireflies were emerging, twinkling off in the distance. A few even found their way over into the courtyard, softly blinking amongst the firelight. The stars too had finally come out, sparkling overhead like tiny rays of light across the deep, dark blue of the night sky.

It was without a doubt impressive in its own way… even if some of Sokka’s, erm, artwork, was a little questionable.

“So, what’s the theme supposed to be again?” Aang asked, pointing at what looked like a scribble of a cloud and people dancing on it.

“Yeah, I’m not sure what those drawings are supposed to be of,” Zuko agreed, absentmindedly reaching up to scratch Momo's ear as the lemur perched on his shoulder and chattered in confusion as well.

Sokka snorted.

“They’re supposed to be a bit abstract, duh," Sokka said with a flourish of his arms. "Tonight’s theme is heaven on earth!”

Zuko and Aang looked at each other and suppressed snickers. Sokka, meanwhile, continued explaining what each picture meant and how it represented his vision of an earthly paradise.

“Look, I know it’s not perfect, but I think the girls will really like it,” Sokka was saying. “I wanted it to look magical for Suki, and I’m sure Katara will be impressed, too. Toph won’t care, but I just wanted to do something nice, since we’ll have to buckle down in the next few weeks before Sozin’s Comet.”

Well, Zuko couldn’t exactly fault Sokka for that. His own drawing skills left a lot to be desired, and he did love seeing Katara smile.

He nervously smoothed down the front of his tunic and tried to pay attention to the current conversation between Sokka and Aang. They had discovered party clothes and dresses in storage earlier that week, and after dinner the girls immediately whisked themselves away to get ready, giggling all the while.

The three boys all wore dress tunics and pants, although none of their outfits fit exactly right. They’d managed to make it work, though, and all things considered, Zuko thought they looked fairly dashing.

He hadn’t gotten a good look at what Katara picked out, and he couldn’t wait to see what she would be wearing. At least his hair, while a bit on the shaggy side, looked infinitely better than that awful combover his uncle styled on him that one time.

The lantern’s light reflecting on the fountain water had reminded him of that date with Jin in Ba Sing Se, and he hoped she was okay. Even if he hadn’t reciprocated her feelings and run off immediately after their kiss, she’d been sweet to him and he had worried about her during the invasion.

So many past mistakes. He was trying his best to atone, but sometimes he thought he'd never catch up.

He was brought back to the present with a soft “ahem” and turned around with Aang and Sokka to see the girls make their debut.

~*~*~

The memory of Katara laughing and bending rain in the sun shower from several days ago was burned into his mind as one of the most beautiful things he'd ever seen in his life.

Looking at her now, though, Zuko realized he might have been wrong before. His breath caught in his throat, and his heart pounded so loudly he heard it hammering in his ears as the world around them disappeared until it was just him and her.

He was vaguely aware that Momo got distracted by a nearby firefly and had leapt from his shoulder to pursue it. He was also vaguely aware that Suki and Toph were standing on the steps beside her, also dressed up in summertime Fire Nation splendor.

But he couldn’t take his eyes off of Katara.

She had rolled her long, brown hair into a bun at the nape of her neck, and a few loose curls draped delicately over her bare shoulders. Her cropped wine-colored top had intricate golden embroidery on the neckline, which was a bit more lowcut than what she normally wore, and the matching skirt skimmed a little past her knees. Short, gauzy sleeves also hung low on her shoulders, which highlighted her figure nicely, he thought.

Completing the look was a hint of makeup and her beloved blue betrothal necklace that had belonged to her mother. Without it, she could have passed for any random noblewoman, but with it, she was the Katara he knew and maybe even loved, just a bit.

The girls giggled amongst themselves, and as they made their way into the courtyard, her eyes met his. She was blushing, but it was while looking at _him_. Odd. He looked nicer than usual, sure, but he was nothing compared to her.

He was as insignificant as a tiny candle floating in the middle of an endless blue ocean. She could easily capsize and snuff out his flames with just a wave, and he would be content sinking into the sapphire depths.

He was pulled out of his silent reverie when he realized that she was standing in front of him.

“So… how do I look? Think I could pass for a proper Fire Nation lady?” she asked with a slight tease in her voice, spinning around to model her outfit.

Zuko noticed once she was up close that the golden embroidery pattern was of many small phoenixes and a few fire lilies were tucked back into her bun.

He suddenly found it hard to speak.

“You look beautiful,” he managed in a deeper, raspier voice than normal.

“And look at you! I love that tunic…” she exclaimed, oohing and ahhing over his outfit, which he barely heard due to suddenly feeling lightheaded. Well, he definitely felt like he was in heaven, or some variation of it. He quickly forced himself to come back down to earth, drinking in the sight of her once again.

As she talked over him, he decided that if they actually made it out of this summer alive, he was going to buy her the biggest house he could afford with a garden of blooming flowers somewhere near the ocean. He didn’t even have to be in the picture, he decided, as long as she was happy and comfortable. It was nothing less than she deserved, even if she decided that she preferred Aang and lived with him instead.

 _Aang_. He’d completely forgotten the Avatar (along with everyone else, to be fair) when he first saw Katara emerge. He glanced over at his friend and pupil, who was doing his best to surreptitiously watch them with a slight frown on his face.

~*~*~

Toph, for some merciful reason, had waltzed directly up to Aang when the girls made their debut and kept him busy in conversation long enough for his interaction with Katara. For that, Zuko thanked all of the spirits and vowed that Toph could call him whatever ridiculous nickname she wanted to from now on. 

Zuko turned back to Katara, who had finally stopped talking and had settled for looking up at him with a grin that outshone the brightest flames. He smiled back down at her and delicately brought her hand up to kiss it.

“You do look amazing,” he said with a bit more confidence this time and squeezed her hand gently.

She blushed again and was about to respond when Aang finally slipped away from Toph and came crashing into their private heaven.

“Wow, Katara! You look stunning!” the young airbender said, wrapping her into a hug and frowning slightly at Zuko from over her shoulder.

“Aang! You look so great,” she responded, looking slightly disappointed but smiling back at Zuko as if to say _sorry_ , _we’ll catch up later_.

As the two broke their embrace and talked excitedly, Zuko was suddenly reminded again of when his uncle and Aang came to their rescue in the crystal catacombs nearly a year ago. He especially remembered Aang’s glare to him back then as he hugged Katara, almost as if he were warning the older boy to back off.

At the time, Zuko had just been annoyed and returned his scowl. Now, he had to mentally talk himself down from self-immolation.

“Sifu Hotman! Looking good – or at least I assume,” Toph said loudly, pulling him away from the pair and snapping her fingers to get Suki's attention, who had been talking to Sokka. “Let’s go talk about dancing.”

Suki quickly excused herself and, to Zuko’s relief, directed Sokka towards his sister and Aang. _Good_ , _at least he won’t be able to try anything_.

~*~*~

The two girls pulled him to a corner of the courtyard.

“What are you doing?” he asked, more than a little exasperated.

Suki rolled her eyes as she and Toph started speaking in hushed tones.

“Look, Zuko, we know about your crush on Katara…”

“And we totally approve! Especially since you’ve turned over a new leaf and become a good guy…”

“We just want what’s best for our friend, and we know that she likes you too…”

“So if you don’t tell her how you feel we’re going to lock you both up in a room the rest of the night or earthbend you both into a cave until you admit your feelings for each other.”

All of the blood coursing through his body had gone to his head now. He wanted to breathe flames and storm off, wanted to deny it, but he found he couldn’t speak. Again.

Though come to think of it, being locked up alone with Katara in a room or even a dark cave sounded incredibly tempting… Oh.

The two girls were waiting impatiently for an answer.

He nervously cleared his throat.

“You really mean it?” he croaked out. “She likes me?”

_Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!_

So much for being smooth. Of all the dopey and ridiculous lovestruck things he could have said. He wanted to slap his hand on his forehead, but apparently his words impressed Suki and Toph, who both smiled.

“Oh, come on, it’s obvious Zuko,” Suki said gently, patting his shoulder.

“Ever since you guys returned from your life-altering field trip and especially after the day of the sun shower, both of your heartbeats have been pounding whenever you’re around each other,” Toph added. “It’s getting obnoxious, really. I’m usually not one to play matchmaker, but if this keeps up I’m going to go crazy.”

He swallowed thickly. He was found out, and they could tell if he was lying. Might as well come clean.

“You’re right," he finally admitted aloud, albeit in barely a whisper. "I do care for her.”

The two smirked victoriously.

"Can I ask you something, though?" he said in a low voice. "It's pretty obvious Aang likes her too. Why are you helping me and not him?"

Suki glanced back at Katara standing and laughing with Sokka and Aang.

"Because I've talked with her about this," she explained. "At one point she had feelings for him as well, but she's realized she doesn't anymore. I don't know if it's because you joined us or something else, but the fact of the matter is this. When we were getting ready earlier, I asked if she was looking forward to seeing Aang tonight, and she was mostly indifferent. Then I asked her if she was excited about seeing you, and what did she do, Toph?"

"Her heart raced almost as fast as yours did a few minutes ago and that time when you stood with her out in the sun shower," she replied.

Suki nodded and turned back to Zuko, whose face had lit up after learning that bit of information.

"That's why we're helping you," she said. "If Katara reciprocated Aang's feelings, it would be one thing. But clearly, she likes you as much as you like her, so we're here to help you both out. Remember what you said the other night? You just need a single spark to light the fuse, and that's what we're doing. Sometimes it takes a while for it to catch, but when it does..."

His heart was still pounding, albeit a bit less harder now.

"Thanks, I guess?" he said, feeling a bit light-headed. “But what about Aang? I don’t want to destroy our friendship, especially when the literal fate of the world is riding on it.”

The girls nodded.

“It's okay, we’ve got a plan for that too.”

“Suki will distract Snoozles if need be, and I’ll keep Twinkletoes’ attention elsewhere.”

“All you have to do is dance with our friend and show her a fun time.”

“But most importantly…”

“Tell her how you feel!” they hissed in unison.

Right. Tilting his head back, Zuko breathed wisps of steam out into the night air to calm his nerves and noticed a halo had formed around the moon above.

Despite the turmoil he felt inside, its beauty caught his eye, and he tilted his head. He had seen rings of sunlight countless times before, but never had he ever seen their lunar counterpart. He hadn't even noticed the moon rise earlier, and he wondered if Katara had seen it yet.

Speaking of...

All he had to do tonight was figure out how to dance, admit his crush to the beautiful girl he’d fallen for and somehow avoid incurring the Avatar’s wrath. Doing just one of those things alone would most certainly be enough to kill him, and he somehow had to pull off all of them within the next few hours.

This was going to be easy.

 _Not_.

~*~*~

Fortunately, the first item on his agenda turned out to be less difficult than he'd anticipated.

Learning the Fire Nation dances from Aang was nowhere near as bad as he expected it to be, despite no music to keep the beat. Zuko was pleased to discover that the movements almost came naturally and vaguely reminded him of firebending, even if he did mess up more often than not.

Thankfully, no one laughed whenever he tripped up, and Katara kept sending him smiles of reassurance, which calmed his nerves somewhat.

They eventually moved on to teaching him other dances from the rest of the nations and even freestyling, sometimes combining elements of all four into one.

Aang had insisted on dancing with Katara when they moved to the couples' dances, which Zuko supposed he had to allow, leaving him partnered up with Toph.

“Don’t worry, Lover Boy,” she whispered as he groaned and rolled his eyes at his new nickname. “I’ve let him have several dances with her to get it out of his system, but I’ll make sure you get the rest, especially the last one.”

A few minutes later, he accidentally stepped on Toph’s foot, which was odd considering her ability to sense movement. He also could’ve sworn that she deliberately moved it to be in exactly the wrong place at the right time.

“Oh, sorry,” Zuko mumbled sheepishly.

To his amazement, Toph winked.

“Follow my lead,” she whispered.

“Ouch!” she cried out, louder this time and drawing attention to the two of them. “You stepped on my foot!”

What was she playing at? Ugh. He bit back the urge to yell at her about how if she just used her earthbending skills like the master she claimed herself to be, it wouldn’t have happened.

“Twinkletoes! Let’s swap. Zuko’s too tall a partner for me anyways, and at least you won’t squash my feet,” she announced.

… Ohh. That little evil genius.

Aang tried to protest, but Katara nodded, her lips turning up with the faintest trace of a smile.

“You’re right, that might work better,” she said. “Want me to look at your foot. Toph?”

“Nah, I’ll be okay. Come here, Twinkletoes.”

Aang dejectedly moved into position with Toph for the next dance, although a few minutes later they were both laughing at some inside joke.

Good. That left Zuko free to focus his full attention on the girl in his arms.


	3. Chapter 3

Katara had expected Zuko to be a decent dancer based on his firebending abilities, but she had to admit she was surprised by just how quickly he learned and how well he moved, all things considered.

He still seemed unsure and made mistakes, bumping into her from time to time, but those slip-ups were far less than she’d anticipated.

“You know what’s odd…” she said softly as Zuko finally nailed spinning her out and twirling her back to him. “I’m pretty sure I saw Toph move her foot to land under yours a few minutes ago.”

Zuko, who had been smiling ever since their dance started despite his inexperience, just shrugged as he caught her hand and resumed swaying them around.

“Weird, isn’t it?" he said nonchalantly. "Maybe if she was a better earthbender, she wouldn't have been so sloppy..."

Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) for him, Toph heard that quip and bent a small part of a tile under his foot, nudging him forward and causing him to bump flush up against Katara.

She gasped softly as his hips connected with hers.

“S-Sorry,” he stammered, blushing furiously and resisting the urge to glare over at Toph, since it would be wasted.

Either he was going to kill that brat or name his firstborn daughter after her, once (Agni-willing) he married Katara and gave her a beachside house and had many, many beautiful children together.

But first things first.

He stepped back slightly, just enough to give Katara more space while still remaining closer to her than before.

She didn’t seem to mind, though, and instead pressed her body back up against his. 

~*~*~

 _Score one for the Water Tribe_ , she thought smugly to herself. It was faint, but she heard the firebender gulp when she sidled up next to him.

Katara glanced up at the moon, and Zuko's eyes lingered on the soft curve of her neck before they followed hers upward.

"It's beautiful, isn't it," she almost whispered. 

He nodded, feeling a small lump in his throat.

"I've never seen a halo around the moon before," he said, looking back down at her. "I've seen them around the sun all of my life, obviously, but not like this. Wonder what it means?"

She grinned at him. Not long ago he'd taught her about sun showers; now it was her turn.

"It has a few different names, but I've always liked calling them winter halos or moon rings," she explained. "It's when moonlight passes through water crystals in the sky to form a halo. I used to see them all of the time in the South where the air is colder, but I haven't seen one so far north before."

He tilted his head quizzically.

"But it doesn't look like there's much water up there, much less ice crystals," he said. "How can that happen?"

She shrugged.

"It makes as much sense as sunshine during the rain, doesn't it?" she smiled. "Even though the climate is warm here, there's still water everywhere - the ground, the plants, even in the cloudless skies. There's not as much as in a sun shower or a thunderstorm, obviously, but it's still there. You just have to look for it."

His eyes had crinkled up in a smile while she spoke, drinking in every word. He loved hearing her talk about her element, the way her features became animated and her eyes sparkled in happiness.

She caught him watching her, and her giddiness dulled for a moment.

"Sorry, I'm probably boring you."

"Oh, no, I liked it!" he insisted. "It's nice hearing you talk, especially when it's something you're passionate about. It's kind of cute."

She paused their dance and smirked up at him.

"You think I'm cute?" she teased, hoping for another appearance by Flustered Zuko.

She wasn't disappointed. His eyes widened and his cheeks burned.

"I.. um... I meant the way you talk is cute, that's all," he stammered.

She nudged him playfully.

"So you're saying I'm hideous?"

"No!" he said a bit more forcefully than he'd meant to, sighing and tilting his head back to focus on the lunar halo above them.

Anything to distract him from the beautiful girl currently pressed up against him, who he'd probably offended.

 _Oh, he’s so hopelessly awkward_ , she thought to herself, and that was proving to be dangerous for her.

To his surprise, she squeezed his arm and nudged them to resume dancing.

"You may be as awkward as a baby turtleduck trying to walk, Zuko," she said kindly after a moment, "but that's because turtleducks aren't meant to do that, at least not all of the time. They belong in the water and once they're swimming around, they're actually quite graceful. You just need to figure out where you feel most comfortable, and then you can swim happily."

"Spoken like a true waterbender," he said, grinning and bobbing his head. "But I guess you're right."

He didn't add that he'd felt more like himself since they'd started accepting him as one of their group, especially once she'd finally forgiven him.

They continued spinning and swaying in comfortable silence for a few minutes. Then, she decided to be brave and voice her thoughts. 

“For such a powerful bender, you also make a pretty good dancer,” she said softly. 

She didn’t see Aang whip his head around at her comment or the crestfallen expression on his face. She was too distracted by her partner leading her around on the tiles with steadily growing confidence.

Zuko smiled down at her, understanding what she was referencing, and shrugged.

“Azula may have gotten all of the firebending talent, but I was bound to be good at something,” he agreed.

He remembered his talk with Katara beside the campfire from several nights ago, when they’d spoken about betrothals and destinies and even love.

She didn’t seem opposed to marrying someone from outside of the Water Tribe. In fact, she'd even snuggled up against him and practically said outright she saw herself with a firebender.

That could bode well for him, he mused. Things finally looked like they were starting to go his way. All he had to do was not screw things up like he always did, somehow.

~*~*~

They continued dancing in almost-perfect harmony, as if they’d always been destined to move together.

He discovered he preferred the more spirited numbers, since it gave him the chance to spin her around so fast that she squealed. Each time he lifted her up, she saw both the stars overhead and some in front of her eyes.

Katara was just lightheaded enough to feel like she was floating on a cloud but grounded enough that she was still aware of everything going on.

She’d never been drunk before, but maybe this is what it felt like.

 _Maybe this is the heaven on earth that Sokka’s theme was going for_ , she thought breathlessly.

At one point she saw her brother glance towards her and Zuko with a raised eyebrow, but Suki managed to divert his attention almost immediately.

Aang also frowned back at them occasionally, until Toph thumped his shoulder each time, whispered something in his ear, and turned him around to face the opposite direction.

~*~*~

This night had _not_ been going as Aang had planned. It had started off so well, with the dancing and laughter and Katara in his arms. It was almost as romantic as their duet in the cave, and while that night didn’t end in a kiss, he hoped this one would.

And it might have, except Zuko just _had_ to stomp on Toph’s foot (was he so bad at dancing that even an earthbending master couldn’t dodge? Something seemed weird about that whole incident.)

Then he’d been paired off with Toph, which he wouldn’t have minded so much if it hadn’t taken Katara right out of his arms and straight into Zuko’s.

They’d had a rocky start, but Aang really did enjoy his friendship with the prince. Along with Sokka, it was almost like having a second older brother around, and the three constantly found themselves having fun and behaving like siblings when they weren't busy training.

But he was no fool, and he’d seen Zuko’s furtive glances at Katara that no one else seemed to notice, especially since the day of the sun shower.

 _His_ Katara. The monks had warned him against jealousy, and he knew that letting the envy fester would only cause him to explode at some point.

Which at this rate would happen sooner rather than later.

Toph seemed determined to distract him from the pair, occasionally thumping his head and whispering jokes in his ear, but he couldn’t help noticing just how close those two danced together, how they laughed and just _stared_ into the other’s eyes at times.

If his chakra hadn’t been blocked, he wondered if he would have gone full Avatar State by now.

At one point, Aang got Sokka’s attention and tilted his head towards the two. Sokka had been so distracted and caught up in dancing with Suki that he’d entirely missed the partner exchange.

Sokka raised his eyebrow at the pair, but Suki managed to pull his attention away as if on cue and whispered something to him. The next time he got Sokka’s attention, all Aang received was a shrug of indifference as if to say, _eh, I’ll allow it_.

Between Toph and Suki’s behavior, he was starting to wonder if the two had set this whole thing up. Then he saw Toph discreetly earthbend a tile, forcing Zuko to bump up into Katara, and all doubts vanished.

“What are you doing, Toph?” he hissed under his breath.

His partner maintained a look of innocence.

“I’m sure I have no idea what you’re talking about, Twinkletoes,” she said demurely.

He glared at her, slightly disappointed she couldn’t see, and turned his head a bit later just in time to hear Katara praise Zuko for being not only a good dancer, but also a powerful bender.

 _Oh, no. This wasn’t supposed to happen_.

No one else knew that he’d snuck off during their visit to the fortuneteller and overheard Aunt Wu’s prediction that Katara would wed a powerful bender.

Well, since he was eventually going to be the most powerful bender of their time, being the Avatar and all, Aang gleefully assumed that all signs pointed to him.

Now he was starting to doubt himself, and it was like the daydreams he built up in his mind were crashing down.

Toph must have sensed his spirits drooping and surprised him by pulling into a hug.

“What’s that for? Who are you and what have you done with my earthbending teacher?” he asked, eyebrows raised.

She sighed.

“Oh, Twinkletoes. There’s something I need to talk to you about. Will you please come with me?”

He was taken aback. This wasn’t like Toph at all. It was enough to briefly distract him from the problem of Zuko dancing with _his_ forever girl.

Well, if Toph had something on her mind, maybe trying to help her sort it out would help clear his own head, too. Then he could come back outside and steal another dance with Katara.

He looked back sadly at the pair before following Toph back to the beach house. 

~*~*~

Zuko hadn’t seen them leave. He was blind to everything except for Katara.

He didn’t care that Aang and her older brother were probably going to break every bone in his body as painfully as possible. 

It was hard to care about anything else except for the soft, warm girl in his arms, laughing and clinging to him as if he’d be swept away by the riptides if she let go.

Let them all come. Let heaven, hell, and the whole world try to tear them apart. He’d die before he’d let that happen. As long as he had Katara by his side, he was invincible. 

~*~*~

Eventually, Katara and Zuko found themselves in one of the darker corners of the courtyard. At one point, she dared to rest her head on his shoulder during a slower dance and left it there.

She didn’t care what anyone else thought. This felt like _home_.

He also seemed content, gently swaying her around and keeping one hand comfortably around her waist and the other cradling her own. His face was pressed up next to her hair, as if he were trying to breathe all of her in.

A few years ago, if you’d told Katara she’d be slow dancing with the Fire Nation prince, not to mention falling for him, she’d have frozen you solid in a block of ice and sent you to the bottom of the South Pole ocean.

That was a lifetime ago, before she and Sokka had even discovered Aang in the iceberg. Before the aforementioned temperamental, banished prince hellbent on redemption would come crashing into her village and she’d left the only home she’d ever known to help the Avatar save the world.

Before pirates and glowing green crystal catacombs and entirely too-short embraces on a boardwalk bathed in golden sunset.

And before the boy whose raging fires she once feared would burn her now warmed her skin like the rays of the afternoon sunshine instead.

Water is the element of change, and funny how things change, indeed. 

She glanced up and watched the stars glowing brilliantly in the blue-black night. Slow dancing with the Fire Prince in the courtyard of his family's beach house, under a luminous moon and its halo, and perhaps even falling in love.

 _It felt right_. 

Maybe it was the moon or the sensation of melting into his warm arms, but she was suddenly emboldened.

“Zuko,” she whispered, and he turned his face towards hers.

Her eyes shimmered like the lanterns’ reflection in the nearby water fountain.

“Want to get out of here?”

~*~*~

Earlier in the night, he would have blushed furiously. She probably would have turned scarlet too.

But now, after dancing with the girl of his dreams in his arms for most of the evening, he felt especially brave.

"Where do you want to go?" he asked softly, feeling his heart fluttering.

Katara pondered this for a second. She was tempted to lead them towards her bedroom or even his, but then that would drastically increase the chances of them getting caught.

Suddenly, it came to her.

"The beach?" she asked, and her stomach flipped over when he grinned and nodded.

Zuko glanced up to take stock of their companions to see if an exit would cause a scene. He didn’t see Aang or Toph and briefly wondered when they had slipped away.

Suki and Sokka continued slow dancing together, mirroring their own closeness. Luckily Sokka’s back was turned to them, so that made things a bit easier. 

Then his eyes landed on a thin blanket nearby that Sokka had laid out for decoration. 

_Perfect_.

Zuko quietly grabbed it and took Katara’s hand in his.

“Let’s go,” he whispered, leading her away through the trees and down the pathway towards the beach.

~*~*~

Aang had been wrong earlier. Now he was definitely about to go into the Avatar State, blocked chakra or not.

He had followed Toph into the kitchen for a drink of water and sat down as she’d instructed. She’d made some small talk, which he found himself nodding along to impatiently. Was she stalling?

Finally, the girl paused for a minute as if to gather her thoughts, then spoke.

“Aang, listen. I’m aware of how you feel about Katara and your history together. We all are, actually. But just because you have feelings for her doesn’t mean she has to return them.”

He’d been too shocked at first by her using his actual name instead of a nickname. When he realized what she’d said, though, his eyes narrowed.

“What’s that supposed to mean? Where did all this come from?” he demanded, standing up angrily.

She sighed.

“Look, I get it. It’s not fun having unrequited feelings, but if the other party isn’t a hundred percent on board, you shouldn’t force it,” she said.

Aang fumed.

“Is that why you’ve been interfering with me tonight? Cutting me off after you guys made your big entrance and stopping me when I tried to go up to her?”

Toph held up her hands.

“I’m just saying…” she started.

“No,” he growled. “It was none of your business to begin with. You’ve ruined this evening. I had it all planned out. Now they’re out there together doing who-knows-what and I’m going to lose her.”

He knew he was being difficult, but Katara had been the one constant in his life since he’d been unfrozen.

He’d already lost his culture, his people, a century of his lifetime, and was shaping up to be the most useless Avatar ever. Was it so selfish of him to want to hold on to her?

She huffed and crossed her arms, blocking him from leaving.

“You’ve given me no choice, Twinkletoes,” she said. “I’m not one for mushy feelings, and I’m ready for this whole thing to get settled. So I’m going to tell you something that I haven’t told anyone else and don’t you dare repeat it.”

Toph sighed loudly.

“I… kind of have a crush on Sokka. I know he’s with Suki, and I really like her a lot. I’m also really glad that they’re together, because they’re good for each other. But that doesn’t mean I sometimes wish he could be with me instead.”

Aang raised his eyebrows in surprise.

“Wait, wha—” he started but Toph cut him off.

“Nuh-uh, let me finish. I know he’s happy and I was never even a consideration, and it’s not like I have a say in who he dates. But I’ll make you a deal, Twinkletoes.”

Toph held out her hand.

“I’ll help you cope if you help me cope. We can hold each other accountable. If I catch you slipping, I’ll bring you back, and I’ll let you do the same for me. Sound fair?”

Aang sighed. He didn’t want to go along with it, but she made a fair point. If she could put aside her feelings to be friends with her crush and his girlfriend, then maybe he could at least respect Katara dancing with Zuko, at least enough to not kill his firebending teacher.

He took her hand and shook it weakly. “Deal.”

“Good,” she said. “Just remember I can tell when you’re lying, so don’t try to pull anything over on me. Now, let’s go back out there and dance some more.”

He sighed.

“Thanks, Toph, but I’m not really feeling up to it anymore.”

Toph grabbed his hand, however, and pulled him towards the door.

“You can sulk in your room later tonight, Twinkletoes,” she said. “But now, we’re going to go back to that courtyard and dance with our friends and laugh like everything’s okay. This night hasn’t been easy for me either, but you and I are going to figure out how to work through it.”

~*~*~

Once they reached the edge of the sand, Zuko and Katara kicked off their shoes and ran towards the surf, stars twinkling overhead.

Zuko reached the waves first. He turned around to see what was keeping her and smirked.

Party dresses and pretty skirts are made for gliding across dance floors, not for traipsing through sand. Katara had hitched it up on both sides a bit and was now delicately walking towards him.

“Shut up,” she said, but she was laughing. “It would be so much easier if I wasn’t wearing this skirt.”

 _If only…_ he thought dreamily. _  
_

She finally caught up to him standing near the edge of the waves and smoothed down her skirt.

The lights from the beach house twinkled as far off in the distance as the stars themselves, and he felt brave again. He'd already blown several chances, and he wasn't about to let another slip away.

“Sorry for laughing,” Zuko said, dropping the blanket in the sand and moving closer to her. “But I meant what I said earlier, you look like a dream come to life.”

Oh, that was too much, and he half expected her to roll her eyes. That’s what Mai would’ve done and told him to stop being ridiculous.

Instead, Katara smiled and stood up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. He held his breath. 

She lowered herself back down and held his hands.

“You’re not that bad looking yourself,” she said, squeezing them. “You’re so dashing, _Sifu_ _Hotman_.”

He threw his head back and groaned loudly, letting go of her hands.

“You’ve ruined the moment. I’m going back to the party.”

He turned dramatically as if to leave.

She laughed and wrapped her arms around his waist, gently squeezing him in a hug from behind.

“No, no,” she chuckled. “Please stay. You’re just so cute when you’re flustered. Stay with me, Zuko.”

Weeks from now, he’d hear those same words from her as she choked back tears, calling him away from the brink of death as lightning scalded his veins and burned him up from the inside. _Stay with me, Zuko. Please stay_ …

But now, in the present, her pleading only strengthened his resolve.

He turned back around and wrapped his arms around her, returning the embrace. He breathed in the scent of her hair, which now smelled like fire lilies and salty oceans.

“I’ll stay as long as you want me to,” he whispered.

She grinned up at him, and he knew the time was right.

 _Here goes nothing,_ he thought.

He carefully traced the side of her face with his calloused fingers and tilted his head down, slowly enough to give her an out if she changed her mind, which would completely break him if she did.

 _Please, Katara,_ he thought suddenly and desperately. _Please stay with me._

To his relief, she met him halfway and met his lips in a kiss.


	4. Chapter 4

This kiss was different from her previous ones, she thought lazily as the prince held her in his arms and she inched herself just a bit closer.

She'd certainly felt fluttering when she kissed Jet, as well as that first time with Aang. The former had dominated and taken the lead every time, and she'd gasped in lovestruck admiration like the silly girl she'd been. The latter had been a soft, almost chaste kiss... and well, she preferred not to think of her last two with him.

Kissing Zuko, though, reminded her more of the rolling ocean than fire. The passion was there, but instead of consuming her like an inferno, he kissed her with the rhythm of the waves. Back and forth, pull and push, Yin and Yang. 

Great poets and published authors would probably describe it better than she ever could, but for now, it was more than enough just being pressed up against his warm body and his lips upon hers.

Her curls had long since tumbled out of the bun, knocking petals from the fire lilies loose into a broken halo around them. She didn’t notice, as she was too distracted by his hands tangled up in her hair. 

The stars seemed to dance overhead, and she felt like she was floating in the sky. What was it he said that one time about them rising with their respective celestial bodies? How she rose with the moon, and he with the sun?

Well, then. If she could be his moon, he would be her sun. The two may not have encountered each other often in the heavens, but those glorious times they did come together… oh.

 _Oh_. That was new.

She found herself gasping his name as his lips moved down to her neck. He paused, looking as if he’d been caught doing something wrong. 

“Am I going too fast? I don’t want to push—” he stammered before she pressed her finger to his lips.

“No, you’re perfect,” she whispered, kissing him again. “It might be more comfortable if we were both lying down, though.”

He smiled softly at her, and she saw something flash in his eyes that sent the slightest shiver down her spine.

“I agree.”

~*~*~

Katara had completely lost track of time. Based on the position of the stars in the sky, it might even be early morning. It didn’t matter. All that she cared about was being held by Zuko and kissing him. 

After they'd smoothed out the blanket against the sand, she found herself being laid back on it. Zuko used his arm to cradle her head as he leaned over her, kissing her deeply and breaking away only to carefully plant soft kisses all over her neck every so often.

Sensing her nervousness and recalling their conversation from before about her general inexperience in this area, he only partially covered her body with his.

"You're in charge," he murmured between kisses, tracing the side of her face with his fingertips. "You set the pace, Katara. Whatever you want to do, I'll do."

She nodded in appreciation and wrapped her arms around his neck as his lips captured hers over and over.

His hair kept falling into his eyes, and she found herself brushing it back, relishing the way the soft black locks felt in between her fingers. She also discovered that the back of his head was particularly sensitive, and his eyes closed happily each time her hand tangled in the hair there.

Eventually he rolled onto his back and it was her turn to lean over him, running her fingers through his hair once more. She planted kisses on his chin and neck and noted with amusement each time she did, he closed his eyes and inhaled sharply as if to steady himself.

As she kissed him, she felt herself becoming bolder. Her hands roamed over his chest and shoulders, and she playfully pinned his wrists down beside his head at times, to which he just chuckled and looked up at her in amusement.

But it wasn't enough. She needed _more_.

Perhaps it was the moon’s influence overhead or some other force outside of her control, but she found herself straddling him and discovered something harder than bunched-up clothing beneath her.

She should have been mortified, but _oh_ , it just felt so right.

His hands roamed up and down her sides in adoration before he sat up and met her lips again in a kiss. His arms draped around her back, and despite the warmth radiating from him, she found herself shivering slightly as she found herself inching closer to him.

Her hands found their way back up to his hair as they kissed and grasped a handful of locks on the back of his head again, tugging slightly. He growled, and for a second she thought she'd crossed a line until he smiled up at her and kissed her a bit more feverishly.

 _This feels right_ , she thought, and she suddenly felt a desperate, overwhelming need to get even closer to him.

Katara held a finger to his lips to pause him, then sat back and slipped her skirt off. She was still wearing her top and the lower bindings she’d specifically dyed red for her Fire Nation clothes, so it’s not as if she were naked.

But the way his eyes widened and his jaw went slack, and how he gazed at her with complete reverence made her feel like she might as well have been.

He removed his tunic and undershirt, stripping down to just his pants to even things up, and she was grateful that it allowed them to be even closer.

This time, his breath hitched when she settled comfortably in his lap. Only a few thin layers of clothing separated them now, and he closed his eyes for a moment to steady himself.

She trailed kisses along his bare chest, lightly tracing circles on his shoulders and upper back with the tips of her nails.

Zuko hadn’t been stationary, either. With a nod of approval from her, his hands gently mapped out every inch of her exposed skin, kissing and nipping lightly on her neck and shoulders.

A few minutes later, she decided to throw all caution to the wind and undid her top as well, letting it slide down into the sand. 

She had thought he couldn't look more astonished than before, but she was wrong. His breath caught in his throat and his eyes grew even wider. She couldn’t help but giggle at his reaction.

After a moment of pure awe, he grinned as well and quickly made up for lost time. As his hands and mouth explored every curve of her delicate skin, she arched her back and looked up to the night sky full of stars, whimpering softly.

It was both too much for her and still not enough. She needed _more_ , and she was scared of what would happen if she received it.

She wiggled her hips a little, adjusting her position until she completely surrounded him with her warmth. He inhaled deeply, and she smirked to herself.

 _Just you wait, Zuko_ , she thought smugly.

Slowly, ever so slowly, she ground herself down and rolled her hips against his. He paused, groaning, and tilted his head back briefly before gazing at her again with moonlight and pure lust reflecting in his eyes.

No one had ever looked at her that way. Not Jet, not even Aang. The former had eyed her as a hunter did when it was about to catch its prey. The latter looked at her as if she were a statue on a pedestal, not to be touched unless he chose to do so.

Zuko gazed up at her as if she were a goddess, worshiping her curves with his mouth and hands and moaning her name like a prayer over and over as she continued to rock her hips against his.

~*~*~

He had never been particularly religious, but Zuko could have spent the rest of his life content in praising her. She was absolutely stunning, slowly riding his lap and bathed in the moonlight as the waves crashed nearby and stars danced overhead.

Together they had created their own private heaven on earth, and he wanted to stay here with her forever.

He leaned back against the blanket and pulled her down with him for another long kiss, feeling himself drowning beneath her body. She wiggled her hips slightly against a very sensitive part of him teasingly, and he tilted his head backwards to breathe steam into the night air.

She just giggled and continued teasing him, and he was absolutely enraptured by it.

Zuko had been in deep water before, and he’d known the brief panic of feeling completely weightless with nothing solid to stand on.

He knew of the burning in his lungs when the surface was too far away, of the lightheadedness and fleeting thought that maybe, staying underwater forever wouldn’t be such a bad fate, and finally, of that sweet, sweet gulp of air once he broke through the waves.

Kissing Katara was like that, he thought lazily as she continued rocking her hips against his over and over as the ocean behind them beat harder against the shore. 

He knew she could feel him, hardened and aching for more through the thin fabric of his pants, which only seemed to encourage her, and he felt himself drawing ever closer to going over the edge.

 _She's going to drown me_ , he managed to think between moans, and _I'm going to enjoy every exhilarating second of it._

“Katara,” he finally said as her lips nipped lightly at his neck. “Do you want to go further?”

That seemed to snap her out of her trance, and she stopped. She sat back on his lap to look at him as the waves settled back to calmer swells.

For the first time since the evening had started, he saw a flash of fear in her eyes.

“Zuko, I…” she whispered uncertainly. 

Then she hung her head, suddenly shy.

“Hey, it’s okay,” he reassured her softly, sitting up.

He hugged her and delicately planted kisses along her collarbone.

“I love you, and I want you to be happy. We can stop whenever you feel uncomfortable.”

It didn’t dawn on him until a few seconds later why she looked at him the way she did.

“Wait, what?” she whispered, awed. “Did you just say you love me?”

She looked off to the side, suddenly unable to look him in the eyes.

"Um... no? I mean..." he stuttered.

_Stupid. Stupid. Stupid._

They hadn’t technically gotten that far yet; they’d been too busy creating their own little paradise. Now he had escalated things too fast and probably scared her off.

At least she was still settled comfortably in his lap, he realized.

He shook his head, feeling like he was about to ruin everything like he always seemed to do.

Zuko should have known it was just a matter of time before it all fell apart.

He could have lied again, blamed it on the moonlight or hormones, said he’d gotten carried away, but then he found he didn’t want to when she looked back at him.

Something in her eyes made him want to be honest, even if it hurt him.

His heart pounding, he instead decided to bare it all and dive headfirst into the deep waters.

“Katara,” he said breathlessly, “I do. I've cared about you for some time now... and I think I might just love you.”

~*~*~

She felt like a jolt of lightning had coursed through her veins. It was almost everything she hoped she would hear and everything she’d been afraid of.

But as she caught her breath, she didn’t take her eyes off his.

He looked as terrified as she felt, though he was better at disguising it. He swallowed, his white throat bobbing and gleaming in the moonlight.

Uncertain, she shifted as if to move away from him, and she saw a look of desperation flash in his eyes. 

“Katara,” he rasped out. “I’m so sorry. Forget it. I shouldn’t have said that and put you on the spot. It’s…”

"But you did say it," she said quietly. "I can't just forget something like that."

She could practically feel his heart beating out of his chest now, under the full moonlight. It pounded even more desperately than hers.

He paused, closing his eyes briefly as if to gather strength.

“It’s okay if you don’t feel the same or don’t want go any further. I just… I…” he trailed off softly.

She’d already been playing with fire and felt the flame’s warmth as it flickered against her skin. She was terrified, but when she looked into his golden eyes...

...it didn’t scare her anymore.

With that, she decided to plunge headfirst into the inferno, even if it would hurt them both in the end.

“You just what?” she whispered.

He breathed deeply before answering.

“I just never dreamed that I’d meet somebody like you,” he said, looking down. “And I know I don’t deserve you, and I’m scared that I’m going to lose you.”

She cupped his chin with both hands and nudged his face upwards so she could look directly into his eyes.

“You won’t,” she whispered, and her lips consumed his, gently pushing him back against the blanket.

~*~*~

Hours later, the stars seemed dimmer and the sky off to the east seemed to glow a bit lighter than it had a few minutes ago. Zuko's eyes fluttered open, and he smiled down at the sleeping girl in his arms.

Nerves had ultimately gotten the best of her, and they didn’t go as far as he’d secretly prayed they would. However, she discovered what they could still do while technically remaining clothed, and it hadn’t taken either of them long to cry out each other’s name and fall back against the blanket, panting.

Afterwards, she found herself wrapped in his arms as he gazed up at her in complete adoration. She left a trail of kisses all over his neck, giggling as his eyes closed in utter contentment.

He was surprised but pleased when she asked if they could stay out there the rest of the night, and he'd agreed immediately.

They shook what sand they could out of their clothes and the blanket, and dressed again before they settled down against the base of the ledge overlooking the beach.

The blanket was just large enough to fit under and around them, although she was a bit worried they'd still be cold.

"In the middle of summer in the Fire Nation?" he'd asked, amused, and she'd rolled her eyes, pointing out that in the Southern Water Tribe that was a perfectly legitimate concern.

He assured her that she wouldn't get cold, pointing out that as a firebender, he could easily keep them both warm throughout the night.

Katara curled up on her side facing the ocean, and he settled in behind her, draping his arm over her and pressing her flush against him to keep her warm.

He caught his breath as she held his hand to her lips and planted sweet kisses on his rough palm and fingertips. She then intertwined her fingers with his and rested them against her stomach.

"Just think," she mumbled sleepily. "If we both hadn't been so scared the other night, we could've been doing this all along."

He chuckled and kissed the side of her face.

"You know, I did chase after you when we got back to the house but you'd already locked your door," he said softly.

"I thought I heard something," she murmured. "I wish you'd knocked. I was waiting for you."

She turned her head back and smiled up at him, and he leaned over to kiss her once more.

"I'm sorry," he whispered with an apologetic smile. "It took a while for that spark to catch, but I won't let it go out or leave you waiting ever again."

Katara pulled his face down for another kiss and settled comfortably against him. She found herself shivering a few times as they lay curled together, and it wasn’t because of the cool salty air on her skin.

He just held her a bit tighter and raised his body temperature slightly until she stilled, sighing contentedly. 

At some point after he dozed off, he woke up briefly and discovered she'd rolled over and was now clinging to him, fast asleep. He gently tugged the blanket up around her shoulders, and she hummed sleepily as she snuggled closer to him.

Smiling, he fell asleep again soon after as he drowsily watched her resting peacefully wrapped up in his arms, the ocean beating steadily against the shore behind her.

~*~*~

Zuko could have stayed there all morning with her as the sky grew lighter, and indeed it was tempting to watch the sunrise curled up with Katara.

However, they already faced a multitude of questions from the others, and he’d rather not have to answer for any more than he needed to. He kissed her cheek gently and nudged her awake.

“We should probably go back before the others wake up,” he murmured.

She nodded, yawning, and gave him a light, sweet kiss on the nose.

"G'morning," she murmured sleepily, quietly giggling when he kissed her throat. "Did you sleep okay?"

He delicately kissed all around her neck until his lips finally met hers.

"It was heavenly," he purred. "You?"

She hummed happily in agreement.

Together they gazed up at the fading stars in the sky for just a bit longer, content in each other's arms.

All too soon he helped her up, and they knocked off whatever sand they could from their clothes.

Salt water wasn’t the best for healing, so she’d have to wait until they got back to the beach house before she could heal where she practically rubbed her knees raw.

It had been worth it, she thought, straddling and rolling her hips against his for what had seemed like hours. Her abdomen and inner thighs were also sore now that the adrenaline had worn off.

She paid no attention to the discomfort, though. Instead, she pulled Zuko close for another embrace and one final kiss before they had to float down from heaven and land back on earth. 

“Ready?” she asked, a nervous smile on her face.

Zuko looked back up at the ever-lightening sky and saw the last stars twinkling out to make way for the sun.

He squeezed her hand, bringing it up for a kiss.

“Ready.”


End file.
